Traffic signal



y 3 1.. M. TORRENCE 1,758,481

TRAFFIC S IGNAL Filed D66. 24, 1,928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 I j 8 'II I -7- I I I 1 30(- 8/ 1| i F iii. I

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y ,1930. .L. M. TORRENCE 1,758,481

TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Dec. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,, un 11 I, 7,;

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a I 5 I IN VEN TOR. Z en JT. Ybrnmce ATTORNEY.

Patented May 13,1930

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TRAFFIC SIGNAL Application med December M, 1m. Serial 10. mm

illumination is withheld.

A further object of my invention is to pro-- vide a revolving traflic signalling device driven by an electric motor and worm gear and with electrical relays in combination with a simple two wire remote control timing mechanism, the latter mechanism to control a lurality of signals on account of the simpllcity of the arrangement of the electrical circuits. g

A still further object of my invention is to provide a si al device for the control of traific which as an auxiliary relay and remote control for use in warning and clearing traflic in case of the passage of fire de artment trucks, police cars, ambulances-an the like, whereby will remain illuminated and the directional features will continue to revolve without light.

be more fully explained, reference being had part of these specifications and wherein like views.

Referring to 'the drawings:

purposes y Fig. 4 1s a fragmentary cross sectional-v ew '50 with pe tsremov'ed for illustration. I

the attention or hold signal.

These and other objects will hereinafterbroken.

charactersapply to like parts, in the diflerent I i 14 and carries on its u Fig. 1 is an elevation of the trafiic signal niset y t e la p 9,

Fig. 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical connections. I A housing 1 rotatably mounted on the disk 2 has its uppermost portion a hemispherical globe 3 aflixed in the mannershowm.

The globe 3 being formed of opalescent glass an colored red or yellow as warranted.

The upper half of the housing 1 is windowed as shown with red lass for one direction and green glass for tieother. The red glass indicated y 4 and the green glass by 5.

The visors 6 act as shieldsa ainst the suns rays during the day and vehicle and street illumination at ni ht.

The lower hal of the housin 1 has on each side an extended arm or so housing 7 formed as shown, carrying the words .Stop and- Go on red and een glass windows respectlvely, the red g ass being indicated by the numeral 8 and the green glass by the nu- 1e meral 8'.

With regard to Fig. 1 the si al FGo on the right bein for vehicles an destrians on the right side of the street. 4 e si al Go on the left is designed for pedestrianson the left side of the street whose view of the other signal is obscured by the intervening Stop arm, which also may obstruct their view of the green glass on the upperhalf of the housing.

. 'The"-Stop and Go indicia are protected by the visors 9 and 10.

Sub-glasses 12 of appropriate .color are ,mounted in the sub-housings 7 'as a precautionary measure against loss of color in the illumination at a window should it become A cylindrical skirt 18 is constructed below and integral with the housing 1.

The disk 2 is positioned on the pipe member per surfacethe receptacle and electric lig t 15, and the glass cy inder 16.

The cylinder 16 has on its upper half the indicia of the streets or highways forming the intersection or junction. I

These indicia are po'stioned with respect to the windows 4 and band legible through the same when the interior of the cylinder is illu- '2 on the member'14 engages a worm 21 the same being affixed to a shaft 22 and driven by the' electrical motor 23, the motor to be preferably of a single phase induction type.

A solenoid brake assembly 2 1 is aflixed to the shaft 22, the purpose of which is to prevent a coasting or continuance of motor rotation after the energy supply circuit is opened.

The worm gear and shaft being trunnioned in the motor and outboard bearings which are rigidly affixed to the cylindrical skirt 13.

The rotation of the worm gear by the motor revolves the housing 1 and its component parts about the cylinder 16, which in company with the members aifixed to the pipe 14 remains stationary.

A dial member 11 rigidly positioned on the pipe 14 below the gear 20 is fabricated from a dielectric or electro-insulating material and has on its upper'surface the. contacts or segments 25 and 26. A brush 27 positioned on and insulated from the arm 28 closes a circuit through the pipe 14: and connects the relays A face of'the disk 2.

The brushes 32 form the conencting means for the current supply from these rings to the motor.

Referring to the Wiring diagram in Fig. 5 The relay A and the directional light 15 are connected in parallel across the supply busses 5. The segments 25 and 26 with the 7 brush 27 form a switch in series with this circuit as do the contacts on the relay B. The rotation of the brush 27 off of the segments-25 and 26 opens the light 15 and relay A circuit (also the energizing of the relay B will open this circuit).

When the light 15 and relay A circuit is I: opened on the dial or by the relay-B, the deenergizing of the relay A closes a by-pass over the drum switch D and energizes a cir cuit to the supply busses 5 comprising of the.

parallel connection of the solenoid brake, the motor, and the warning or attention light 19. As the closing segment on the drum switch D is assumed to make momentary contact and then re-open, the closing of the segments 25 and 26 by the brush 27 as it revolves into po sition again li hts the lamp 15 and energizes the relay A w ich opens the circuit controlling the motor and warning light, resulting in a braking action from the solenoid brake assembly, thereby stopping the rotation of the housing 1.

The relay B, the same being auxiliary in its function, is energized from the supply busses through the closing of the switch F. It is assumed that this switch, of which there may be a plurality, is situated at the fire department headquarters and at convenient locations on the streets, available to the police for emergency use to warn and clear traffic.

When the switch F is closed the relay B is energized and the light 15 and relay A circuit is opened. The de-energizing of the relay A closes the motor and the warning light 19 circuit, the latter illuminatin the hold signal during the revolving of the housing. This rotation continues until the switch F is opened whereupon the regular cycle of operation of the signal proceeds as determined by any timing mechanism desired on the drum switch D.

The control system has the following cycle of operation: Under normal conditions when traffic regulation is being handled, the drum switch D is rotated by a synchronous motor or clockworks and its speed of rotation is governed by the interval selected to most conveniently govern the change of traflic movement at an intersection. For example if fifteen seconds is allowed for each direction then the drum will be rotated at the speed of four revolutions per minute and if a period of twenty seconds is deemed necessary the drum will be set to rotate at the rate of three revolutions per minute. Or if it is found that one minute is necessary between traffic changes then the drum will be set to rotate one revolution per minute. a

It will be assumed that the signal itself is in the position-shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and ,4. The brush 27 is across the segments 25 and 26 and the circuit energizing the lamp 15 and the relay A is closed and the armature of the relay A is lifted off of its contacts. The motor and the lamp 19 are deenergized and the solenoid brake 24 prevents any rotation of the y I worm 21 and any movement of the gear 20. The housing is thereby held immovable in the position shown with its interior illuminated by the lamp 15.

gizes the motor and lamp circuit 19, the sole- 'noid brake instantly'releases the motor to rotation, which rotation rotates the housing and removes the contact of the'brush 27 with the segments 25 and 26 which results in an opening of the circuit feeding the lamp 15 and the relay A. This darkens the housing and illuminates the'globe 3, the latter constituting the hold or warning signal as described: It.

should be noted that when the relay is deenlamp 19 and the motor circuit while the drum D proceeds in its rotation.

The housing is now revolving and there is no illumination in its interior, the globe is illuminated, the rotation progresses through an arc of ninety degrees whereupon the next of the brush 27 and a circuit is closed to again energize the lamp and the relay A. The

armature of the relay is instantly lifted away from its contacts and the lamp 19 and motor circuit is opened. The solenoid brake pre- 'vents further rotation of the motor shaft and v the housing becomes stationary in this posi-' tion.

' The interior of the housin is now illuminated by the lamp 15, the glo s3 is dark,the housing is stationary, instead of the .Go indication as shown in Fig. 1 with green light the Stop indication with the red light is nowvisible.

After the drum 1) has made another revolution the circuit G is closed and the rotation occurs as heretofore described until the housingis positioned again as shown in Fig. 1 with the Go indication 'ingevidence. This is the normal procedure of my invention for the regulation of trafiic, however I have provided another relay B which is energized I through a switch F. This relay is arranged to open the lamp 15 and relay circuit A whenever the switch F is closed as heretofore described and breaks into the regular cycle of operation of the traflic control system whenever an emergency exists. It should be noted that the circuit governing the operation of the lamp 15 and the relay A could be opened directly by the switch F, but on account of the fact that the station of the switch F may control-bus for the G connection on each s1gnal to one switch. p

The design of my invention is arranged for both pedestal and ndant mounting; To adapt .'the signal sh wn for pendant mounting stay bolts are inserted between the members l8'ttnd 2 to support the glass cylinder and the 'v-i'sors and indicia are inverted. This places the warning signal 3 at thebotair of contacts 25 and 26 reach the position ing of the hou 1 on the disk 2 is o rative bothas shown h i l inverted. pe

- The advent es ofmy invention over the traffic signals have observedin use are in its control of pedestrians as well as vehicles, the rotatable housing with one directional light, and the synchronized action of the warning signal for emergency, which is operable from various points.

Also the remote control, and timing circuit means is very simple and may be installed at a comparatively small ex ense.

An alternate system 0 traflic regulation, for a plurality of intersections is easily obtained by rotating the housings to their desired relative positions before closing the main circuit.

I do not wish to be restricted to any particular manner of fabrication or material nor to an particular method of use, and such modi cations may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims and what I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a trafiic control system; a rotatable signal having spaced Stop and Go indicating means thereon; means for rotating the signal includin an electric motor; a motor circuit; a relay or closing the circuit to the motor when the relay is de-energized; means havin a part operating in synchronism with sai rotating means for energizing the rela at definite positions in the rotary travel 0 the signal and a periodically operated switch for closing the motor circuit; whereby the signal is successively rotated and stopped to display the Stop and Go indications.

2. In a traflic control system; a rotatable signal having spaced Stop and Go indicating means thereon; means for rotating the signal includin an electric motor; a motor circuit; a relay or closing the circuit to the motor when the relay'is de-energized; means having a part operating in synchronism with the rotating means for energizing the rela at definite positions in the rotary travel 0 the signal; a periodically operated switch for closing the motor circuit; a warning signal connected to be energized with the motor; an illuminatin device positioned to illumihate the rotata 1e signal,.said illuminatin device being connected to be energized wit the relay; whereby the signal is successively rotated and stopped to display the$top and Go indications and whereby a warn ng indication is given when the signal is rotated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si 'ature. Y

LEOM. TOBRE, CE.

tom "and the pipe 14 serves as a connecting means for suspension. The rotatable mount- 1 CERfiFI'CATEOF-CORREGTION. e I Patent No.1; 753,481. I Granted May is, 1930, to

I LEO M. TORRENCE. 7

-It is hereby certified that error appearsvin the above numheredpatent requiring correction as follows; In the grant and in the heading to the printed specification the residence of the assignee is erroneously given'as "Arlington; Kansas", whereas said residence should have been given as "Arrington, Kansas", as shown by the records of assignments in this office; -and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that tlie'sam'e may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of September, A. D. 1930. x

. M. J.. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

